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The neckline is a prominent part — defining a shirt's overall style — offering both aesthetic appeal and functionality. Despite its small size, the shirt collar can significantly influence your appearance.
The collar serves to frame the face and draw attention upward. Ill-fitting collars can appear untidy and disrupt the overall look, while a well-fitted collar enhances facial features and body look.
Designers and custom clothing manufacturers create men’s shirts with various collar styles to suit different occasions, from formal business attire to casual settings.
This blog post will walk you through different collar designs, highlighting the unique characteristics of each one.
Top Men’s Dress Shirt Collars Styles
Do you want to learn about different men’s shirt collar styles that are suitable for a variety of occasions? These are the most popular collar designs, perfect for everyone’s personality.
The Spread Collar
Many people prefer the traditional spread collar because it looks flattering and chic at the same time. It stands out with its larger collar points compared to a regular point collar and is suitable for various occasions such as social gatherings, business meetings, weddings, and everyday use.
The spread collar is versatile and can be paired with larger tie knots like the Windsor and Half-Windsor and smaller ones like the four-in-hand. This collar type is a great option for thicker ties made of wool, cashmere, or other sturdy materials.
The degree of spread and the specific term used to refer to this type of collar in clothing may vary slightly. Additionally, collars may be known by different names such as ‘semi-spread collars’, ‘Kent collars’, and ‘English spread collars’. Generally, all of these different labels will be closely related to various styles of spread collars.
The Point Collar
The point-collar style is highly preferred by most white-collar professionals. As the name indicates, this style is characterized by its pointed collar tips, which are closely and neatly spaced apart. When wearing a four-in-hand knot, the tie ends will not be visible on either side due to the close spacing.
Some may consider it a drawback that the lapels of a jacket won't cover the collar's points when worn. However, for individuals with wider faces, this collar provides better balance. To maintain a neat appearance with sharp points, a point collar is best worn with collar stays and functions optimally at a medium stiffness.
It's important to note that a stiff point collar, when paired with a tie, may cause the collar to protrude from the shirt, leaving a gap between the collar and the shirt.
The Tab Collars
Tab collars offer a clean, minimalist vibe. They prioritize sharpness over embellishment, creating aesthetically stunning statements. Each collar point is secured in place by small fabric rectangles known as tabs.
This gives shirts a crisp, tailored persona, perfect for creating streamlined, fashion-forward looks. Tab collars are often found on casual or smart casual button-downs that seamlessly transition across different contexts.
The Button-down Collar
Button-down collars are a classic American style, distinguished by small buttons at the collar points. This classic detail adds elegance and refinement to the shirt, making it suitable for both formal and casual occasions.
These collars are designed to maintain the shirt's crispness and structure, preventing any unwanted flapping or spreading. Button-down collars effortlessly adapt to various dress codes, complementing formal attire with a tied necktie and casual ensembles without one.
The Mandarin Band Collar
Mandarin band collar shirts have collarless necklines formed into simple fabric bands, giving a relaxed and refined look. This style is casual yet polished, with clean and unfussy lines.
Band collars are often seen in summer formalwear like linen suits, seamlessly blending style with comfort. They bring to mind images of bronzed Mediterranean coastlines and tropical islands, projecting breezy elegance wherever worn.
The Cutaway Collar
The cutaway collar is notably wider than a traditional spread collar. Sometimes, the collar's angle may form a straight line across the neck. Extreme cutaway collars are dramatically spread away from the shirt's neckband.
Cutaway collars are also referred to as ‘Windsor collars’ because they require a large tie knot, such as the Half or Full Windsor knot, to prevent displaying both the body of the tie and the knot itself.
The Club Collar
The rounded club collar is a narrow-spread collar with a classic look. In the past, Eton College was the birthplace of Beau Brummell's style innovations. The young men there were looking for a way to stand out from other schools, and they came up with the idea of rounding off the collar points, which gives the club collar its distinctive appearance.
This style is also known as a penny collar due to its rounded edges. As the difference between a club collar and a tab collar is defined by the design of the collar leaves rather than the presence of a hidden tab, both types of collars can be worn
The One-Piece Collar
The Hollywood or Cooper collar is also known as the one-piece shirt collar due to its association with Gary Cooper. It is not commonly found in most off-the-rack shirts. Unlike a regular shirt collar, the one-piece collar is constructed from the same material as the shirt placket, providing reinforcement that allows it to stand up on its own. Usually, cut and sew manufacturers with high skill levels try to create this collar style on custom demands.
The defining characteristic of this style is the one-piece collar, which is tall and features an impressive collar roll due to its unique construction. One potential downside of the one-piece collar is that if the top button of the shirt is left unfastened, the collar points may protrude or slip out from under a sport coat's lapels. This issue does not occur when wearing a tie.
Tuxedo Shirt Collars
When dressing for formal occasions, such as when wearing a tuxedo or dinner jacket, it is important to choose the appropriate shirt collar. The spread collar is the traditional choice, as it offers a perfect balance for a formal look, regardless of the specific event.
While many menswear retailers may recommend contemporary collar styles for events like weddings and proms. Wearing an English spread collar will help you maintain an elegant and sophisticated appearance.
Wrapping It Up
The collar of a dress shirt is not just an accessory; it is one of its defining characteristics. To add variety to your collection of dress shirts, you can choose from a range of different collar designs and style them for any occasion.
Wearing the perfect shirt, a well-tailored suit, quality shoes, an expensive watch, and a pocket square can help you make a strong impression at any event. Are you looking for custom dress shirts with unique collar designs to elevate your style and personality? Consider expert local clothing manufacturing services for a perfect fit and tailored design. Book your consultation today!
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